Tank and closure



C. E. GLESSNER. TANK AND CLOSUBE. APPLIC'ATION FILED SEPT 29, 1919.

Patented July 4, 1922.

INVENTOR A TTORNEY CHARLES E. GLESSNER, or"PORTLAND, OREGON.

TANK AND CLOSURE.

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Application filed September 29, 1919.

To all 10710122, it may concern.

Be it known that CHARLES E. GLnssNnn, a citizen of the United States, residing in Portland, in the county. of Multnomah and State of Oregon, have invented a new and useful Tank and Closure, of which the following is a. specification.

My invention relates more particularly to a tank suitable for use in dehydration process although it is apparent that it may be used to an equal advantage in any of the other arts in which an inexpensive, strong, air-tight and sanitary receptacle is required.

The object of my invention is to provide an exceedingly economical means for maintaining a vacuum. and a perfect insulation against the loss of heatby radiation in an enclosure of relatively large proportions,

and to provide such enclosure with a hermetically sealed closure means which is simple of operation.

I attain these objects in the manner described in the following specification and illustrated in the accompanying drawing. of which:

Figure 1 is a longitudinal view of the tank showing its foundation broken away in section, as well as a portion of the closure frame, for the sake of clearness; Figure 2 is a front elevation of the apparatus taken in section through the pit in front of the tank; Figure 3 is a section along the line 3-3 in Figure l. showing the relation of the concrete wall of the tan 1 and its inner and outer laggings and insulations, together with a vacuum producing pipe for the tank proper, and a second vacuum producing pipe for the area between the inner and outer lagging-s, and also showing the movable support for the tank; Figure 4t is an enlarged detail showing an expansible airtight joint for the various sections of the lagging, both on the walls of the tank and its end enclosure members. In Figure 4 is also indicated a relief valve for equalizing pressures. and also the means for hermeti cally sealing the closure upon the tank; Figure 5 is a partial plan showing the closure guide means and holding screw.

Similar letters and numbers of reference refer to the same or similar parts throughout the several views.

A is the wall of a cylindrical tank one end of which is closed by the head A and the other by the closure member A The tank itself is supported by means of a fixed Specification of Letters Patent.

-lPatented July 4, 1922.

Serial no. 327,110.

closed end of the tank A is a pit A for the counterweight A In front of the tank is a pit A for the closure A The entire outside of the tank and the closure are covered by a hermetically sealed lagging H which passes between the tank walls A and the pedestals A and A. This inside lagging H is joined to the outside lagging H in a manner to entirely surround ,the structure of the tank itself, and is pro.

vided with a vacuum pipe line H? for exhausting whatever air remains between the two laggings in order to improve its insu lating qualities, and this pipe line is provided with a gauge H for the purpose'of indicating the amount of pressure remaining between the laggings H and H H is a vacuum producing pipe extending to the interior of the tank and upon which is mounted the gauge H which indicates the amount of pressure within the tank. H is a check valvemounted on the inside of the inside lagging H which has for its purpose the prevention of a greater vacuum existing within the tank than exists within the tank walls. inasmuch as it would plainly destroy the inside lagging H should the tank vacuum exceed the vacuum between the laggings. H is a vacuum producing pump on the closure member A H is gauge on closure member.

C is the closure frame. from the upper side of which are swung the links 0 from which is suspended the closure A It will be understood that the closure member A is also hermetically covered with. a metal lagging, as is the tank itself. and that the means for supporting said closure within the frame C will be such as to prevent the passage of anyv air into the space between the lagging which surrounds the closure. It will also be observed in Figure 1 that when the closure A is in place that it is not directly underneath its point of support :in other words that when the closure A is not held against the face of the tank walls A it will be held away from same by its own weight. On the sides of the closure A are the lugs C which are used as a point of bearing for the screws C which are used to hold the closure against the tank until it hasbeen sealed by the vacuum from within. Along the sides of the closure frame C are' the grooves C which engage the T members C which serve as a guide for the frame G and also as a support for the screws C. side of the frame 0 are mounted the rails C which serve as connecting rails between hermetical seal of the component members.

, In this joint the edges of the individual pheric pressure.v

sheets which form the laggings are crimped to form the two sides L and L in a manner that the point L touching a similar point on the adjacent sheet and the area between the sides-L forms a V shaped trough which is filled with solder L thereby producing an expansible air-tight joint.

lVhen the closure A is in the position shown in Figure 4 and held in place by the screws C the pneumatic gasket M is inflated and protrudes from the annular groove h 2 and comes in contact with the inner lagging on the closure A thereby providing-aseal capable of resisting atmos- It wwillzrbe' observed that when theapparatus isin the position shown in Figure 1 and it is desired to open same, it is first necessary to reduce the vacuum within the tank A and thenrelease the screws C which will permit the closure member A to swingaway from the face of the tank A l when any downward pressure upon the clo sure or its frame will cause both to be lowered into the pit A which, of course, will praise the counterweight A to theposition shown in the dotted lines in Figure l.

O is a drain pipe and air inlet, which,

together with the pipe permits of circulation ofrarefied air through the tank,

. either from an auxiliary condensing tank or directly, by means of a pump uniting 0 Cu the upper lagging from the concrete walls of the tank and closure and serves as insulation and to reduce the friction between the concrete and metal lagging.

I have specified the walls of this device as being constructed of concrete, but it is evident that any other material providing suflicient strength may be used instead of concrete, without departing from the spirit of my invention.

I claima 1. The combination of a tank and closure member with an expansible metal covering hermetically enclosing the inner, outer and end surfaces of the structure of said tank, a vacuum creating means adapted to exhaust the air from between said tank coverings, an expansible metal covering hermetically enclosing the structure of said closure member, a vacuum creating means adapted to exhaust the air between the covering which surrounds said closure member, a means for exhausting the air from within the tank itself, and a means for sealing the union of said tank member and said closure 7 member.

2. The combination of a concrete tank, an inner and outer lagging which completely surrounds the structure of said tank, supporting members for sustaining said tank in a horizontal position, a closure means consisting of a concrete member covered internally and externally with hermetically joined lagging, a means for suspending said closure member away from and in front of the open'end of said tank, screws for holding said closure member against the front of the open end of said tank, a counterbalanced frame mounted between guides and supporting said closure member, means for establishing and measuring. a partial vacuum which is held within the inner and outer lagging of the tankand its closure, means for preventing the destruction ofthe inner lagging, consisting of check valves opening into said tank and mounted on an inner lagging, a means for sealing the union of said tank and said closure, consisting of a pneumatic gasket placed within an annular groove around the open end of said tank member, and a means for inflating said pneumatic gasket.

CHARLES E. GLESSNER. 

